Wellington Old Vines Basson Cinsault

Cinsault as a wine and food pairing is often used with sea snails in garlic, better known as Escargot. It also works quite well in pairings with rich foods like stews, braised and roasted meat dishes.

Planted on a variety of South Africa’s first experimental root stocks in 1900, this historic parcel of dry farmed bush vine Cinsault is growing on the deep sandy alluvial soils in Wellington. This is South Africa's oldest registered red wine vineyard and the firm skins and fragrant fruit ‘sing’ to us when they are ready to pick.

This wine was matured for 20 months in 500L French oak barrels.

To enhance the terroir and naturally austere tannins of this special & historic site, we transferred 100% whole-clusters to tank with minimal sulphur. No further additions were made. The natural fermentation began without inoculation and the wine was pigeaged twice a day. Temperatures were kept cool as Cinsault is a fast fermenter and the fermentation lasted for 11 days. After 3 weeks of extended masceration, the wine was drained and pressed to barrel. Racking and blending took place mid-way through the year and the wine was bottled after 20 months in barrel.

The Leeu Passant winery, based in Franschhoek, was established in 2013 with the purpose of harnessing the most exciting vineyards of the Cape in order to create multi-regional wines from vineyards aimed at expressing the Cape as a whole (not only from Franschhoek). The Name “Leeu Passant” is derived from Heraldry, referring to a ‘passing Lion’ and this is the symbol on the top of the capsule. Chris and Andrea Mullineux search far and wide for the best parcels of grapes for these wines, and make them at the Leeu Passant base, on Leeu Estates.